1) Imagination. So important, both for the author, and for the reader. When
I read, I go into another world, and my mind’s eye produces the pictures for me
- so much so that I am usually disappointed in the films made from books- the
pictures are rarely right! The world within my book,“Despite the Angels”, is imaginary,
and I hope potential readers will take it as such, and enjoy the story. Some people
have said to me “Oh, but I don’t believe in angels (or reincarnation)”. So
what? I don’t believe in talking rabbits, but can enjoy Alice in Wonderland; or
flat worlds, but love Terry Pratchett’s discworld series. Animal Farm became
famous though no one thinks pigs can actually talk! This is all possible
because we all have Imagination, and the ability to let go of the mundane, and
let our minds roam free.
2) Irish College. I am Irish, and in Ireland it is still compulsory to
learn the Irish language. In fact when I was in school, if you didn’t pass Irish
you didn’t get your Leaving Certificate. (A Levels/High school graduation). So
summer schools were popular, as a month of total immersion was supposed to make
us fluent. I thoroughly enjoyed my month at “Trabolgan”, (then a boarding school
which acted as an Irish College for girls in the summer, but now a holiday
camp), but I never became fluent. The way Irish was taught, as though it was a
dead language, was not designed to produce either Irish speakers, or people
full of love of the language. In fact, I think the language has survived
despite being compulsory, not because of it. I can say only a few useless
phrases, and more importantly, never need to...
3) Ipecacuanha is a great remedy for cough which ends up as gagging or
vomiting
